We know she can handle bad guys of the human variety; she proved that comprehensively in The Dark Knight Rises. But can Anne Hathaway fight robots? She may get her chance, as The Hollywood Reporter brings word that she’s in early talks for the female lead in Robopocalypse.

Of course “early talks” may not work out, but considering this is for Steven Spielberg’s latest sci-fi project, we doubt it’ll take too much to convince her. If she does sign on, she’ll likely be acting alongside Chris Hemsworth, who is already negotiating to star.

How exactly Drew Goddard has adapted Daniel H Wilson’s novel will dictate which characters from the techno fear novel the potential pair are playing. But we’d guess they’ll be part of the rag-tag human uprising that makes a desperate stand against the destructive forces of controlling compu-intelligence Archos, with Hemsworth as Cormac "Bright Boy" Wallace and Hathaway as Cherrah, perhaps? She seems young for Congresswoman Laura Perez and old for Matilda.

Spielberg is currently in pre-production on the film and will be aiming for a release date of April 25, 2014. In another twist, Tom Rothman, who is leaving his role as Fox Filmed Entertainment Chairman, is working up a deal to serve as an independent producer on the movie.

Hathaway will next be seen singing her heart out (and breaking ours, if the trailer below is any indication) in Les Miserables, which arrives on January 11.

Did George Lucas make up that title? It's dreadful. Does the hero battle the marauding robots from inside a lead-lined refrigerator that's impervious to nuclear weapons? Does Shia Le-wotsit make friends with some racist robots? Booking my ticket now...to a country with no cinemas. More